Compare two versions of a PDF
Open Compare PDF, choose the original and the revised version, and read the summary of pages changed and words added or removed. Switch between Text changes and Visual overlay for each page. It runs in your browser.
Updated 1 min read Available on without an account, Free, Pro and Business
Step 1: Choose both files
Open Compare PDF and pick the original and the revised version.
Step 2: Read the summary
The top row shows Pages changed, Words added, Words removed and Page counts.
Step 3: Go through the changed pages
The page list marks each page with its additions and removals, or "same". Click a page to see it.
Step 4: Switch views
Text changes shows the words side by side. Visual overlay lays the pages on top of each other: green is added in the revised file, red is removed from the original. Use the Highlight slider to fade the overlay.
Tick Ignore spacing and line breaks and Ignore capitalization to hide changes that don't matter.
What the comparison can't do
- Text changes compare page 3 with page 3, so an inserted page shifts every later page.
- Fonts, colors, images and layout aren't part of the text comparison; the visual overlay shows them.
- Moved paragraphs show as a deletion plus an addition.
- Scans have no text to compare. Run OCR PDF on both first; OCR errors can show up as false differences.
- There's no downloadable comparison report.
Are my files uploaded?
No. Both PDFs are read and compared in your browser tab.
Do I need an account?
No. Compare is free without an account.
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